New York Giants rookie kicker Dominic Zvada treated a 52-yard field goal against the Arizona Cardinals the same way he treats every other kick.
The Giants held a three-point lead in the fourth quarter of their Week 4 win when head coach John Harbaugh sent him out to make it a six-point game. New York went on to win, 36-24. Zvada said the setting did not change the assignment.
"For me, I really try and dissociate myself from the situation," Zvada told reporters on Tuesday. "For me, my job is to go out there and do my part no matter what, and so for me, that was the mindset going into that kick. It's just another opportunity to display what I'm able to do."
He said the operation was clean and that pressure was never an issue in the game. The only
requirement was to focus on his job.
That approach comes from a routine that has not changed. Zvada has worked with Steve Rausch, an Arizona State alum who trains kickers and specialists mainly in Arizona, since high school. Offseason sessions stay with Rausch. In-season work follows the same process he used at Michigan.
"Nothing has changed," Zvada said. "Throughout college I was able to kind of get into a good routine and I've kind of stuck with that. Really the focus going into the season was just to come in and get better every single day and stay focused on the task at hand."
Playing for a head coach who came up in special teams has fit that routine. Zvada said Harbaugh uses the same terminology specialists use, which makes the instruction easier to trust.
"No, it's an amazing thing. You can really trust what he's saying," Zvada said. "To be able to play for Coach Harbaugh has been an absolute dream, and I'm just excited to keep rolling with him."
The work on hostile moments started in training camp. Teammates, including outside linebacker Abdul Carter, spent the summer putting specialists in game-like spots with what Zvada called fun hostility. The taunts were the kind a kicker might hear on the road. The point was to practice blocking them out before the games arrived.
"The whole point is just to keep myself focused on the job and focused on what actually matters and kind of block everything else out," Zvada said.
He has treated the mental side as part of the job since he arrived at Michigan. Zvada still has weekly conversations with sports psychologist Suzi Freeman, a relationship that began in Ann Arbor, and he also works with Giants director of wellness and clinical services Lani Lawrence, including on meditation. He called a strong mental game a core part of the specialist skill set and said he tries to use the resources available.
The undrafted rookie is 9-for-9 on field goals through four games, including three from 50-plus yards. He said the aim from rookie minicamp through the regular season has been the same: Positive momentum, one opportunity at a time.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Dominic Zvada explains how he remains mentally calm in big moments
